Iceland: Europe’s largest national park established

Iceland’s Vatnajokull National Park is Europe’s largest national park, Icelandic Enviroment Minister Thorunn Sveinbjarnardottir proclaimed last Saturday. Vatnajokull National Park includes Europe’s largest glacier in its entirety, some land bordering it as well as land previously belonging to two discontinued national parks. The initial size of the national park is 12,000 square kilometers, which authorities hope to increase to 15,000 square kilometers within the next couple of years.
Critics of the park’s funding say that the government has not made enough money available for this important but giant project. Further, they say the money is incorrectly spent. Instead of improving access to the national park or paying salaries, most of the money is allocated to the construction of four new visitor’s centers.

Source: eTurboNews; read full article here>>.

"Rwanda launches 'gorilla tax'"

According to iafrica.com, "Rwandan companies using the country's famous mountain gorillas' image for marketing purposes will have to pay a tax aimed at financing the endangered species protection, officials announced this week.
'We are launching this campaign to generate income earmarked for the species' protection,' said Fidele Ruzigandekwe, in charge of conservation at the Rwandan Office of Tourism and National Parks." Read more>>

New National Park in Tanzania

Tanzania plans to establish a new tourist wildlife park in the bustling northern tourist circuit and bring the number of national parks currently holding the country's tourism up to 15.

Mkomazi Game Reserve in northern Tanzanian border with Kenya will have its status elevated to a national park then marketed globally as one among Africa s wildlife destination sites.

Source: http://travelwirenews.com/eTN/10NOV2006.htm

Australia considers cooling down Geat Barrier Reef

Australian marine scientists have proposed to protect the corals from being damaged as a result of climate change.
Speaking at the recent Ecotourism Australia Conference, Andrew Skeat, executive director of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, said the proposal involves watering the ocean surface at peak heat times to avoid coral bleaching, which is caused by higher than average water temperatures linked with global climate change, and when organisms which make up corals die leaving behind white limestone skeleton. A fine spray of seawater will be pumped onto the reef to break up the ocean water, cooling the corals. It also considered permanently placing sunshades over some areas of the reef. The UNESCO World Heritage listed reef, stretching over more than 345,000 sq kilometers (133,000 sq miles) off the coast of Queensland, is the world's largest coral system.
For Details look here.

Europe's largest national park to be established in Iceland

Iceland's government announced a plan to build what the prime minister referred to as soon-to-be Europe's largest national park.
The establishment of Vatnajokull national park is the largest nature protection project in Iceland to date. The national park will not only provide a platform for protection of the unique nature of the area, but also create new opportunities in tourism in the vicinity of the park and thus strengthen habitation along the outskirts of Vatnajokull glacier.
The Ministry of Environment, in 2002, began negotiations with farmers living next to the glacier to establish a nature reserve. The negotiations did not materialize as land ownership issues delayed the process. The plan to include the entire glacier as well is more recent.
Icelandic nature continues to be the main attraction for foreign visitors to the country, according to annual research done by the Icelandic Tourist Board. Therefore, it is important for the tourism industry that steps are taken to protect it. The establishment of Vatnajokull national park would mean that Iceland will have the largest protected wilderness in Europe.
The establishment of Vatnajokull national park would also mean that glacier river Jokulsa a Fjollum will not be harnessed for the production of electricity. This issue is of great concern for nature conservationists.
More details here.